Turbine pump



Aug. 12, 1930. G. w. sLocoMB TURBINE PUMP Filed March 19l 1928 2 Sheets-$heet 1 37 lzzven'oz'. r e 1570 comb.

Hill o r n ey.

Aug. l2, 1930. G. w: SLOCOMB 1,772,525

HTURBINE PUMP Filed `March 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y G'eor e Woflocoml mi forney.

Patented Aug. l2, 1930 ,UNITED STATES PATENT ol-Flca G EORGE W. SLOCOMB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TURBIN E PUMP Application lcd March 19, 1928. Serial No. 262,796.

der in which there are stationary spiral blades arranged a short distance below the water l level with a rotor therein including helical blades coiled reversely to the spiral blades; and with the blades so arranged that their adjacent edges are out of contact and so that the rotation of the helical blades will cause the l water or other liquid to flow upward on the spiral blades.

In other words I drive the rotor to develop centrifugal force that will cause the water to circulate at high speed around the inner wall i of the cylinder so that the spiral blades will act on the whirling water and cause it to flow upward. The centrifugal force is developed by a minimum amount of power; and friction is greatly reduced as the spiral and helical blades are out of Contact and the bearings for the rotor shaft are efficiently lubricated and the lower bearing of the rotor Hoats in the liquid being umped.

Another object oi) the invention is to provide a simple means for obtaining high efcienc in liquid pumping by avoiding the back flibw of water that is common to many pumps due to such causes as lost or interrupted motion as well as leakage. This is effected by establishing a relatively constant centrifugal force that prevents a back fiow or leakage while the pump is in action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump with one or more turbine units that can be connected and operated together on a single shaft.

Another feature of invention is shownin the means for supporting and lubricating the drive shaft.

` Another feature of invention is shown in the novel means employed for interrupting excessive rotation of the lubricant in the pump head.

Features of invention are shown in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts whereby a pump is provided that 1s easy to construct, assemble, install and oper ate, that is neat and pleasing in appearance and effective and durable in use. c Other objects, advantages and features of invention `may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the linvention Figure l is a fragmental perspective view of a turbine pump constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental central vertical section through the pum head showing a detail of the means for driving the turbine shaft and also the means'for lubricating the shaft and bearings. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, showing the fingers for arresting the rotation of the lubricant in the pump head chamber. Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 1f-4, Fig. 5, looking down on the stationary cage, parts omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 5 is a fragmental central vertical scction on the line 5-5 of Fig. l showing three turbine units arranged one above the other, all of which are driven by a single shaft, the lower unit' being shown in full section and the upper ones in part section. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the upper turbine unit with the helical blades and a portion of the shaft broken away to more clearly show the spiral blades that are integral with the inner wall of the cylinder, also showing a bearing connectionbetween the hub of the rotor and the stationary cage. Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 7 7, Fig. 6, with parts omitted for the sake of clearness, showing the spiral blades as arranged on the inner wall of the cylinder.- Fig. 8 is a plan view of the turbine rotor. Fig. 9 is a view of the turbine rotor transverse to that shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is aside view of the well cage detached from the pump. f

The pump includes a base 12 that can be mounted on and secured to a platform not shown but well understood in the art.

The pump. head 13 includes a shell 14 scured to the 'base 12 by the bolts 15. The base 12 is provided with an annular extension 16 that is tightly fitted in the lower end of the bore through the shell 14 to form a seat for the outer ring of a thrust ball bearing 17.

The base plate 12 is also provided with a center bore 18 through which a casing 19 is extended, supported and drawn taut and rigid by a nut 2O arranged in a recess 21. A packing 22 is arranged in an annular recess around the casing and between the nut and base to prevent leakage of lubricant from the chamber 23 in the shell 14 into the water chamber 24 directlyy below the base 12.

The chamber 24 1s formed of a large cylinder 25 secured to the base that has its lower end partly closed by the reducing coupling 26 to which the upper end of the main pump cylinder 27 is secured.

A discharge pipe 28 is brazed to or otherwise secured to the cylinder 25 so that water can pass from the chamber 24 when necessary.

Another ball bearing 29 is secured in the shell 14 and spaced from the bearing 17 by a spacing sleeve 30 that is secured on a bearing sleeve 31 that carries the inside rings of the bearings 17 and 29. The sleeve 31 has its upper end secured to the hub 32 that is secured on the upper end of the shaft 33 by a key 134.

The hub 32 has an annular flange 34 that is secured to another hub 35 on a pulley 36 by pins 37. The hub 35 is formed with an internal hollow flange 38 that is fitted snugly over the upper end of the sleeve 31- and has its lower end resting on the internal ring of the bearing 29. Also this hub has an external flange 39 that is secured to the inner wall of the pulle 36.

The u per en of the shell 14 is threaded for a hollow plug 40 that has spaced fingers 41 extending downward into the chamber 23 to arrest or interrupt rotation of the lubricant in the up r end of the chamber so that it will not c imb out over the end of the shell 14 and be wasted.

The chamber 23 can 'be filled with lubricant through the stand pipe 42 thatis connected to the passage 43 in the base 12 by a connection 44 that is provided with a. drain plug 144. The pipe 42 is provided with a screw cap 45 that 1s removable for charging the chamber and also the pipe is provided with a sight glass 46 so that an operator can see when the proper amount of lubricant has been supplied to the chamber.

An oil passage 47 is provided in the upper end of the shaft 33 that is normally closed by a plug 48 that can be removed for introducing oil through`the passage 47 to the shaft bearings.

The shaft 33 has its upper end threaded for the nut 49 which is utilized to slightly raise or lower the shaft when necessary, the pur se of which will be explained later.

T e hollow plug 40 can be slightly raised and lowered by means of an extension 49 that can be engaged by a tool extending through one of the holes in the extension 34 when a pin 37 is removed. That is a tool is inserted through the in hole to engage one side or the other of t e extension 49. Then by turning the pulley 36 in one direction or the other the lug 40 can be raised or lowered as desire The shaft 33 is rovided with a socket in its lower end in wiiich the upper end of the shaft 50 is secured. The shaft 50 is considerably reduced in diameter, as is also the casing 51 that surrounds it. In other words the casing 19 is connected to the casing 51 -by a reducing coupling 52; and adjacent the coupling a bushing 53 isarranged around the shaft 50.

There is a clearance 54 between the shaft 50 and the casing 51 which at the bottom end of the casting is filled b packing 55v suported on a plug 56, see igs. 5 and 6. The ower end of the casing 51 is externally threaded and secured in the center bore 57 through a spider 158 in the cage 58 that is secured to the lower end of the cylinder 27.

It is understood that the cylinder 27, shaft 50 and casing 51 are of sufficient length to reach as much below the water level indicated by the line a-a in Fig. 6 as may be desired; and when of great length these parts are formed in sections and coupled together in the usual way.

The cage 58 is externally threaded at 59 to which the upper end of the first turbine unit or c linder 60 is secured.

T e cylinders 60, 61 and 62 are constructed substantially alike except in the connection of the unit 62 with the inlet strainer 163 so that a description of one will describe all of them.

It is understood that I may employ a single unit if so desired or that I may add as many more of the turbine units as are necessary.

Integral with the inner wall of the turbine cylinder 60 are spaced spiral blades 63 that preferably are tapered from their upper ends outwardly and downwardly, and a rotor, including helical blades 64 that are coiled reversely to the spiral blades, is arranged to be revolved centrally in the cylinder 60.

The blades 64 have their upper ends connected to a fiange 65 on a hub 66 secured to the shaft 50 by pins 67. The hub 66 of the upper rotor is arranged to rotate in the lower i end of the bore 57 in the spider 158 and preferably there is an annular bearing ring 68 extended upward on the flange 65 of this hub that enters an annular socket 69 in the spider; and the purpose of this annular extension and socket is to form a bearing for the shaft as well as to prevent leakage'of the agitated water into the space around the shaft above the packing 55.

In the event that water escapes over the Sii bearing ring 68 toward the shaft 50 it will be thrown out of the recess 70 through the outwardly and downwardly inclined holes 7l when the pump is in action, see Fig. 6.

Thehelical blades 64 have their lower ends -connected to a bearing ring-72 that is arranged torotate in an annular socket 73 that' gis formed by a fitting 74 secured to the upper ends of the lower and intermediate cylin.

dersl, 62,.'which fitting has annular flanges 7K5 that are spaced inwardly a sufficient dis- 72 to enter and rotate to stabilize the rotor. l

i inder 62 is slightlyk different in form from the other fittings and it is provided withan internal thread: for the upper end of 'the strainer 163'; otherwise it functions substantially as do the other fittings.

The fittings 74' are first used as asupport in assemblin the various rotating parts of` the pump. n other words .as the parts are assembled the rings 7 2 extend into' the slots so as to supportthe other parts being assembled, after which the rings 72 are. slightly'-v elevated byvtightening the nut .referred to heretofore.

Also when the nut 20 is tightened all the slack between the pump head and cage willl be taken up; and the casin thatholdsl the bearings for the shaft is hel tig-ht andrigid.`

When the nut 49 is tightened the shaft 50 and its rotors willbe slightly elevated so that there is a slight clearance between the'bottoms of the rings 72 and sockets 73. Y

The upper endsof the rings 72 are tapered from their inner edges upward and outward so that when in use centrifugal force will defiect sand and the like upwardly so 'it will not likel pass into the bearings around the rings. he clearance between the rings 72 and the walls of the annular sockets 73 is very slight but sufficient to form both an inner and outer jacket of water for the rings so that in use they practically operate in a water lubrication and never are in exact frictional contact with the walls of the socket-s. However the bearings for the rings 72 are sufficient to prevent excessive vibration when the shaft 50 is driven. at high speed.

Preferably the spiral blades 63 and helical blades 64 are arranged so that there never is contact between their adjacent edges, but they are very close together and as previously stated they are reversely coiled so that when the shaft 50 is driven the water rotated by the helical blades will be forced upward on the spiral blades.

When the water has been driven rupward past the uppermost spiral blades it is driven into the ca e 58 which is provided with spaced deflectors 6 that act to deflect the water from a rotary to a vertical course.

The deflectors 76 at their lower ends are l`The fitting 'Min the lower end of the cylvertical cylinder, spiral blades secured to the inner wall of said cylinder and encircling a rotor, said rotor comprised of a hub with helical blades'curved reversely to the spiral blades and extending downwardly from and connected to the lower part of the hub by their upper ends only and supported centrally in said c linder, a ring secured to and surrounding t e lower parts of the rotor blades, i

said ring fittin closely but loosely in 'said cylinder and a a ted to rotate immediately below the spiral lades to stabilize rotation,

kand means for supporting and rotatingv said rotor.

2. A. turbine pump including a stationary vertical c linder, spaced spiral blades integral wit the inner wall of said cylinder,

, a shaft arranged centrally in said cylinder,a

hub' secured to said shaft,- helical blades curved reversely to said spiral blades and having their upper ends integral with said Vhub and arrangedwith their outer edges adjacent to 'but out of Contact with the inner edges of said spiral blades so that they force the liquid outwardly between and upwardly on said s iral blades, a rin integral with the bearing secured to the innerwall of said cylinder below said spiral blades into which said ring is extended and adapted to rotate, and means for rotating said shaft.

, 3. A turbine pump including a cylinder blades arranged to taper outwardly and'y downwardly, a shaft supported centrally in -said cylinder, a hub on said shaft, helical lower en s of said helical lades, an annular blades on said 'hub that are curved reversely to said spiral blades and which taper inwardly and u wardly and which have their outer edges a jacent `to but out lof contact with the inner edges of 'said spiral blades andk which are arranged to force the liquid outwardly between and upwardly on saidspiral blades, an annular ring integral ,with the .lower ends of said helical blades, and an annular bearing in which the lower portion of said ring is mounted and adapted to rotate. 4. In a turbine pump the combination of cluding stationary-spiral blades and rotary I' ya plurality of liquid lifting units each inhelical blades reversely coiled, a' bearing below each 4of said units for stabilizing the helical blades, a cage above said units, and

iso

means for rotating said helical blades so that liquid will be forced outwardly between and. upwardly on said spiral blades through said cage.

In a turbine pump theI combination of a cylinder having spiral blades secured to the inner Wall thereof, a cage in said Cylinder with an annular socket in the bottom thereof, a shaft extending through said cage, a hub on said shaft, a flange on said hub that has passages therethrough that are inclined downwardly and outwardly from the vertical axis of said shaft, an annular bearing extension on said flange extending into the socket in said cage. and helical blades secured to said flange for the. purpose specified.

6. In a turbine pump the combination of a head including a stationary shell having an oil chamber therein, an adjustable plug at the upper end of said shell, fingers attached to-said plug that extend downwardly into the oil chamber to interrupt rotation of oil around the inner wall of said shell, a shaft extended through the chamber, and means connected with said head and shaft for pumping water.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afliXed my signature.

GEORGE W. SLOCOMB. 

